Fur cleaning composition



3,124,535 FUR CLEANING CGMPGSITIDN Willis C. Ware, 1018 N. Clark St., Chicago, Ill. No Drawing. Filed Sept. 10, 1956, Ser. No. 608,702 3 Claims. (Cl. 252-153) This invention relates to compositions and methods for cleaning furs and, more specifically, fur garments such as coats and jackets.

A conventional method of cleaning fur garments comprises scrubbing a garment with one of the ordinary dry cleaning solvents, tumbling the garment with sawdust and a dry cleaning solvent in a suitable container, and beating the garment, as with a stick, to remove the sawdust, which adheres tenaciously to the fur.

According to the present invention, cleaning and, if desired, glazing, can be carried out by an initial scrubbing step followed by tumbling with sawdust and dry cleaning solvent without any need for beating the fur to remove the sawdust. For effecting this result, I incorporate with the dry cleaning solvent used both in the scrubbing and tumbling steps a composition (of a nature disclosed hereinbelow) having both cleansing characteristics and capacity for inhibiting the adherence of sawdust to fur and, also, if desired, for glazing the fur.

The composition above referred to comprises from 1 to 10 percent (preferably about 5 percent) of a quaternary amine, from 5 to 20 percent (preferably about percent) of tertiary amine, from 5 to 20 percent (preferably about 10 percent) of a polyethylene glycol ether of an alkylated phenol and if a glazing etfect is also desired, from 1 to 5 percent (preferably about 2 percent) of a silicone oil, the remainder being a dry cleaning solvent such as mineral spirits. If desired, a greater percentage of dry cleaning solvent can be used than indicated above, but then the composition is not diluted (when used) as much as indicated hereinbelow. The percentages above disclosed are percentages by weight.

The above mentioned quaternary ammonium compound is a salt, ordinarily the chloride, of an alkyl trimethyl ammonium compound wherein the alkyl group contains from 8 to 18 carbon atoms. Examples of such quaternary ammonium compounds are those in which the alkyl group has been derived from fatty acids (by reduction of the carboxyl group), such as soya fatty acid, coconut fatty acid or stearic acid.

The above mentioned tertiary amine has the following structural formula:

(om-orIz-o) X-H H2 OH2O)y-H wherein R signifies an alkyl group containing from 8 to 18 carbon atoms and wherein x and y signify numbers totalling from 2 to 10. The alkyl group may be derived from a fatty acid (by reduction of the carboxyl group), such as soya fatty acid, coconut fatty acid or stearic acid.

The above mentioned polyethylene glycol ether of an alkylated phenol is a condensation product of from 2 to 10 molecules of ethylene oxide with one molecule of an alkyl phenol wherein the alkyl group contains from 8 to 10 carbon atoms, for instance, octyl, nonyl or decyl phenol.

The above mentioned silicone oil is a polydimethyl or polydiethyl siloxane.

The above mentioned four materials (quaternary ammonium compound, tertiary amine, polyethylene glycol ether of an alkylatcd phenol and silicone oil) are avail- 7 parts by volume) of solvent for each part of my composition. The garment is first scrubbed with this solution and thereafter tumbled with sawdust and an additional amount of diluted composition using, for instance, about two liquid ounces of my composition (before dilution). Garments thus treated are throughly cleaned. The sawdust can be removed by simply shaking the garments. When a silicone oil is included with my composition, the fur is also glazed.

A specific'composition according to the present invention (giving by way of an example) contains 2.5 percent (by weight) of alkyl trimethyl ammonium chloride wherein the alkyl group is derived from soya fatty acid; 10 percent of a tertiary amine having the above indicated structural formula in which the alkyl group is derived from soya fatty acid and in which x and y total between 8 and 10; 10 percent of nonyl phenol condensed with about 10 molecules of ethylene oxide; 2 percent of polydimethylsiloxane; and 75.5 percent of mineral spirits.

As disclosed hereinabove, sawdust does not adhere tenaciously to fur which has been immersed in a dry cleaning solvent having the above disclosed composition dispersed or dissolved therein. This effect is brought about jointly by thespecific quaternary ammonium compound and the specific tertiary. amine included with my composition. Either one of these compounds (the quaternary ammonium compound and the tertiary amine), when used singly, will under some conditions inhibit the tendency of the sawdust to adhere to the fur. But to bring about this result under all conditions of use and at all times of use, both the quaternary ammonium compound and the tertiary amine must be used in combination. The tertiary amine also performs another important function. If a composition is made up containing all the above mentioned materials except only the tertiary amine, then water or moisture contacting such an incomplete composition will be quite corrosive to metals, in particular, iron, with the result that the use of such an incomplete composition in iron or other metal equipment will be impractical, since moisture can never be completely excluded. The complete composition of my invention, on the other hand, can be used in iron or other metal equipment without causing corrosion. The polyethylene glycol ether of alkylated phenol forming part of my composition functions as a detergent; to keep the other ingredients, in particular, the silicone oil, in stable dispersion or solution; and also to cause the fur to be Wetted or penetrated by dry cleaning solvent having my composition dissolved or dispersed therein. The silicone oil, when used, serves to make the fur glossy and shiny.

Many details may be varied without departing from my invention and it is therefore not my intention to limit the patent granted on this invention otherwise then necessitated by the scope of the appended claims.

The invention is claimed as follows:

1. A liquid, fur cleaning composition comprising: from 1 to 10 parts by weight of an alkyl trimethyl ammonium salt wherein the alkyl group contains from 8 to 18 carbon atoms; from 5 to 20 parts by weight of a tertiary amine having the structural formula:

(pm-capo) .-n

NR @Hi-cm-mw 3,124,535 Patented Mar. 10, 1964 2. A composition according to claim 1 which further includes from 1- to 5 parts by weight of a silicone oil selected from the group consisting of the polydimethyl and polydiethyl siloxanes.

3. A fur cleaning composition according to claim 1 wherein said dry cleaning solvent is mineral spirits.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,317,130 Heineke Sept. 23, 1919 1,747,324 Savitt Feb. 18, 1930 1,902,232 Haertel Mar. 21, 1933 1,923,178 Ulrich et al. Aug. 22, 1933 2,165,356

OTHER 7 REFERENCES Dow Corning Silicone Note Book, Fluid Series No. 3,

Dunbar July 11, 1939 15 Sept-19 48. Dow Corning Corp. pages 10 and 21. 

1. A LIQUID, FUR CLEANING COMPOSITION COMPRISING: FROM 1 TO 10 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF AN ALKYL TRIMETHYL AMMONIUN SALT WHEREIN THE ALKYL GROUP CONTAINS FROM 8 TO 18 CARBON ATOMS; FROM 5 TO 20 PARTS BY WEIGHT ARY AMINE HAVING THE STRUCTURAL FORMULA: 